Gauley River National Recreation Area Travel Guide

Travel in Gauley River National Recreation Area

Other Guides for Gauley River National Recreation Area

Destinations In or Near Gauley River National Recreation Area

Mid-Atlantic Travel States/Provinces

Other Travel Destinations

advertisement
Rafting the Gauley River, West Virginia
Rafting the Gauley River, West Virginia (Skip Brown/National Geographic/Getty)
Submit a travel tip

Submit a travel tip about Gauley River National Recreation Area.
Read Our House Rules

On This Page:

Gauley River National Recreation Area Travel Tips

  • Raft the burly Gauley River, a tooth-jarring ride that bolts right out of the gate with five Class V rapids in the first 12 miles. Each September, the fleeting river-rafting season comes to life with a controlled water release from the upriver Summersville Dam, which ushers in six weeks of utter whitewater mayhem—arguably the East Coast's best.
  • Foaming whitewater is not the only thing to be seen on the move in and around the Gauley River National Recreation Area. As many birders now know, more than 200 bird species have been spotted there (albeit not simultaneously).
  • If you're an angler looking for some action, try your skill and luck on the Gauley and New rivers and some of their tributaries, and especially on Summersville Lake. These bodies of water are among the state's finest sport fisheries.
  • Although the recreation area affords only limited public access and has no public camping facilities, there are ways for you to have the pleasure of camping close to this spectacular river and also the nearby New River.
  • With accolades like "Top 10 Best Whitewater Runs in the World" and "the Super Bowl of rafting," the Gauley River must be something special. Believe us, it is. In 26 miles, it drops 668 feet through more than 100 rapids, including many rated Class V or V+. If you have time to catch the scenery between one swirling vortex of whitewater and the next, you'll see a beautiful, forested canyon sprinkled intermittently with rock outcrops.

Gauley River National Recreation Area

The 25 miles of Gauley River and six miles of Meadow River pass through scenic gorges and valleys containing a wide variety of natural features. Dropping more than 668 feet through 28 miles of rugged terrain, the Gauley is famous for its outstanding whitewater and is one of the most technical rivers in the nation. The Meadow River gradient averages 88 feet per mile. Read More

Ask a Question

Do you have a travel question about this destination or can you provide a tip to a fellow traveler?

ask a question

Join the discussion with Away.com's in-house experts in our travel Q&A.

Hotels

Country Road Cabins

P.O. Box 44
Hico, WV 25854 Map

Distance: 6.0 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
Expert Rated & Recommended
4.0

Summersville Lake Retreat

278 Summersville Lake Rd.
Mt. Nebo, WV 26679 Map

Distance: 6.8 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
Expert Rated & Recommended
4.0

Mountain Lake Campground & Cabins

1898 Airport Road
Summersville, WV 26651 Map

Distance: 8.7 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
Expert Rated & Recommended
3.0
All Gauley River National Recreation Area Hotels »
advertisement

Attractions

Wildwater Expeditions

expert favorite attraction
P.O. Box 155, US 19 & Milroy Grose Rd.
Lansing, West Virginia 25862

Distance: 10.6 mi. (from destination center)

Description: Wildwater Expeditions is a small outfitter dedicated to helping you have big whitewater fun in wild... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0

Brooklyn to Southside Junction Trail

expert favorite attraction
c/o New River Gorge National River, P.O. Box 246
Glen Jean, West Virginia 25846

Distance: 22.2 mi. (from destination center)

Description:

The Brooklyn to Southside Junction Trail is easily the most popular mountain-bike trail within... Read More

Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0

Cranberry/Tri-River Rail Trail

Nicholas County


Distance: 8.1 mi. (from destination center)

Description: This is a 16.5-mile path that follows a former coal-mining and timber railway grade out of Richwood... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
4_0
All Gauley River National Recreation Area Attractions »

Airports

Major Airports near Gauley River National Recreation Area

Distance (mi.)
Greensboro Piedmont Triad International Airport 157.3 map
Port Columbus International Airport 159.6 map
Pittsburgh International Airport 161.7 map

Other Smaller Airports near Gauley River National Recreation Area

Distance (mi.)
Charleston Yeager Airport 34.5 map
Lewisburg Greenbrier Valley Airport 46.9 map
Bluefield Mercer County/Princeton Airport 64.9 map

Feature Articles

Trip Ideas

See All Trip Ideas »

Gauley River National Recreation Area Vacation Rentals

check rates
from: $171

3 Bedroom VACATION HOME in NATIONAL, WA

Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 1.5
Sleeps: 10
Amenities: Air Conditioning, Alarm Clock, BBQ, Blender, CD Player, Cable/Satellite TV, Coffee Maker, DVD Player, Dishwasher, Fireplace, Freezer, Full kitchen, Garage, Hot Tub, Iron, Laundry, Linens, Lounge, Microwave, No Pets, Non-Smoking, Oven, Patio, Phone, Refrigerator, Stereo, TV, Toaster, Utensils, VCR
check rates
from: $75

VACATION HOME in NATIONAL, WA

Bathrooms: 1
Sleeps: 12
Amenities: BBQ, Full kitchen, Iron, Pets OK, Phone, Restaurant, Towels
check rates
from: $92

2 Bedroom VACATION HOME in NATIONAL, WA

Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 1
Sleeps: 4
Amenities: No Pets, Non-Smoking, Patio, Phone, TV, VCR
All Gauley River National Recreation Area Vacation Rentals »

Gauley River National Recreation Area Travel Guides

Compare Rates

Powered by Trip.com
advertisement

Traveler's Currency Converter

Foreign Currency
U.S. Dollar Amount
$

Country
convert Currency

Powered by eZforex
advertisement